During a recent shareholders meeting, Nintendo’s legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto shared a lighthearted yet fascinating anecdote about the origins of the Pokémon franchise. The story, which surfaced through a report by Genki (@Genki_JPN) on X (formerly Twitter), sheds new light on one of the creative motivations behind the iconic Pokémon Red and Green versions.
Miyamoto recounted that before Pokémon was ever developed, its creator, Satoshi Tajiri, once made a playful remark about what it would take to surpass Nintendo’s flagship Mario series in sales. “A long time ago, Tajiri-san, the director of Pokémon, before creating the first Pokémon game, once joked to me, ‘If you want to surpass Nintendo’s Mario, you can’t surpass it unless you sell two copies of the game to each customer,’” Miyamoto recalled. He added, “That is also one of the reasons Pokémon Red and Green were born. Like this, there are people who think, ‘somehow let’s surpass it.’”
This humorous exchange between two of Japan’s most influential game creators captures both the friendly competitiveness and inventive thinking that shaped Nintendo’s most successful franchises. Tajiri’s “two copies” concept became a defining feature of the Pokémon series, where dual versions encouraged trading and player interaction—a hallmark that has continued across generations.
The anecdote came in response to a shareholder question about whether a future Nintendo Switch 2 title could ever surpass the sales of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Miyamoto acknowledged that it was possible, though he also noted that it might not occur if Mario Kart 8 Deluxe continues its strong performance. The kart racing title remains one of Nintendo’s most enduring successes, still topping sales charts years after its release.
Originally launched on April 28, 2017, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the enhanced version of the 2014 Wii U game, offering all previous downloadable content alongside new features such as Smart Steering, revamped Battle Mode arenas, and the ability to carry two items simultaneously. It currently stands as one of the best-selling games in Nintendo history, further bolstered by the Booster Course Pass DLC, which expanded the track roster to an impressive 96 courses.
